Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson Need to Fight Each Other

While Conor McGregor is absent facing one of boxing’s best-ever fighters, a challenger in the lightweight division needs to announce themselves to get that big pay cheque when he comes back.

The two perennial contenders which stand out are Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov – neither have faced each other, despite three failed attempts to make the fight happen.

This was a fight which should have happened a long time ago; the latest mouse trap occurred when Nurmagomedov was hospitalised a day before his scheduled fight with Ferguson at UFC 209.

Ferguson called it before the commotion at a staredown, days before disaster struck, “have fun with that weight cut,” he said.

Later Nurmagomedov told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, “I almost died.”

Nurmagomedov has failed to make weight two times in his UFC career.

However, Nurmagomedov is yet to meet his equal, boasting an intimidating record of 24-0. His last win against lethal striker, Michael Johnson was a dominant grappling performance, when the UFC debuted in New York. Johnson succumbed to a kimura submission in the third round.

Johnson was keen to fight Ferguson in what would have been a rematch, as a last-minute replacement at UFC 209, but Ferguson declined despite making weight at 154.5 pounds. Johnson beat Ferguson in 2012 via unanimous decision

Stylistically, Johnson is a vastly different fighter to Nurmagomedov – to change your game plan after preparing weeks in training camp for another opponent, is a tough ask.

Perhaps Ferguson made the right decision.

McGregor is officially fighting Mayweather on August 26 after more than a year of back and forth, and there is no clear lightweight contender to challenge McGregor. If the Nurmagomedov and Ferguson fight happened on March 4, they would have been waiting a while for McGregor.

UFC President Dana White told MMA Junkie, “this thing could time out perfectly.”

McGregor was the first UFC fighter to win two belts simultaneously, but he has never defended either the featherweight title (which he longer holds) or the lightweight title which he currently has.

With Nurmagomedov’s undefeated record, and Ferguson riding a nine-fight win streak, the fight to make is clear.

White said during a media scrum that after McGregor fought Mayweather on August 26, he wants to defend his title later in the year.

This provides a golden opportunity for one of Nurmagomedov or Ferguson, to claim the lightweight interim belt and a date with McGregor.

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